PROPHECY OF THE GREAT MOSES TO THE JEWS

PROPHECY OF THE GREAT MOSES

TO THE JEWS

YOU SHALL HANG CHRIST 

THE LIFE OF ALL MEN ON A TREE

“You shall see your Life  hanging before your eyes”

  The great Moses warned the Jews that they would be dispersed among nations for their rejecting and crucifying Christ, and he went into more detail vividly describing how they would behold their life and the life of all men hanging upon the Cross.

Moses speaks:

 “And the Lord God shall disperse you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall worship other gods, wood, stone, which you and your fathers have not known.  Moreover, among those nations he will not give you rest, neither shall the sole of your foot have rest.  And there the Lord God will give you a misgiving heart, failing eyes and a wasting soul.  And you shall see your life hanging before your eyes, and you shall be afraid day and night, and shall have no assurance of your life.  In the morning you shall say, Would that it were evening, and in the evening you shall say, Would that it were morning.” 

                                                                       (Deu. 28: 64-67)

      The Orthodox Church of Christ, the servants of God who have accepted the true God worshiped by the Jews, behold the Christ before us and we sing solemnly on Great and Holy Friday:

Η ζωη εν ταφω κατατεθης Χριστε,

      “O Life how can you die? How can you be laid in a tomb?    You  freed us from the reign of death and from Hades you raised the dead.

   

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD MORAL LIGHT AND MORAL DARKNESS

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

MORAL  LIGHT AND MORAL DARKNESS

     Jesus Christ said of himself: “I am the Light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”

     There are three types of light that illuminate the souls of men, the first being physical light which lightens our eyes and viewable objects, enabling us to move about without stumbling. The second light is the light which enables us to realize our existence and that of the world around us, which is metaphysical light, differing in effect and purpose than the former. Consciousness is metaphysical light and while asleep or unconsciousness we are in metaphysical darkness, knowing nothing.  When we awaken the light of consciousness returns.  The third type of light is the moral light, the source being Jesus Christ who is the true Light who came into the world.  Moral light coming from the moral Sun, enables us to walk without stumbling in an upright manner, humble and meek, kind and merciful, conducting affairs with justice and honesty and keeping all the commandments of Christ, which radiate like beams of the sun into our souls. Unlike the other two lights, moral light when shining in our souls fills them with divine awe and love of God and the greatest of joys, for  “This is the true light that lightens every man who comes into the world.”

Christ Is Born

Today the Virgin
Gives birth to the transcendent One
And the earth now offers
A cave to the unapproachable One.
Angels come with the Shepherds
And glorify Him,
Magi come,
After they were following a star.
Unto us is born upon this day,
A New Child,
Who is the God before the ages.


THE BIG FLAW OF ECUMENISM

THE BIG FLAW OF ECUMENISM

                                                         

       

“ Above everything is love.  The thing that must concern you my children, is love for the others,  for their souls. Whatever we do, whether it is prayer or offering advice or pointing out some error,  let us do it with love.”                 Elder Porphyrios

   The roots of the ecumenical movement date back to the early part of the 20th century – almost a hundred years.  The original idea was that the Protestants work to seek mutual unity, and then seek to unite themselves to the Orthodox Church, that is to abandon error and accept the living Orthodox Faith. 

  The Orthodox participants working with  the W.C.C.  who preach and practice ecumenism, know that they are limited in certain things, and that they should not and I believe will not deny Orthodoxy. They have been gathering and meeting with the heterodox for about a half  century. 

CHRIST– LIKE A PELICAN IN THE WILDERNESS

CHRIST– LIKE A PELICAN IN THE WILDERNESS

Psalm 101 

Verses 1 to 6

Commentary on Verse 6

Superscription

A prayer to the poor man, when he is woebegone, and pours out his petition in front of the Lord.

   The poor man refers to Christ who explains His own poverty by saying: ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of heaven nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head” Mat. 8:20).

1.  Hear my prayer, Lord, and let my cry come unto you. 

2.  Hide not your face from me, in the day when I am in trouble, incline your ear to me; in the day 

when I call answer me speedily. 

3.  For my days have vanished like smoke, and my bones have been scorched like firewood. 

4.  I have been struck like grass, and my heart has been withered; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.  

5.  By reason of the voice of my groaning my bone has cleaved to my flesh.

Verse 6

“I am like a pelican of the wilderness;  I have become like a night-heron of the area of ruins”

  The likeness of Christ to the pelican is expressed by the following verse of sepultural lament: 

“Like a pelican wounded in the side, O Logos, you have enlivened your dead children by instilling in them vital springs.”  

  Respecting the pelican it is said that it builds its nest on a cliff for the safety of its young, but that the serpent directs its venom into the nest by a current of air and kills the young. When the pelican comes and sees its own young dead, it beats its sides with its wings, and sheds drops of vitalizing blood therefrom upon its young, which are thereby revived. Becoming like this pelican of the wilderness, , by means of life-giving blood shed from His side upon Adam and his descendants after they have been poisoned and killed by the serpent, Christ revived them.

DEATH – GOOD OR EVIL?

DEATH  –  GOOD  OR  EVIL?

WHAT WILL OCCUR AFTER DEATH

 Although we have an idea of death and are subject to its constant  threat, there is more concerning death that is good and edifying knowledge.  First from where did the idea of death come? Not from heaven for there is no death there. Not from Satan for he became insane being unable to understand anything.  The first mention of death is by the Lord. This occurred after His commandment to Adam, forbidding him to  eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, under the penalty being death. Thus the idea of death originates in the Source of  life.  The question is whether or not this temporary death is good or evil, remembering that it is God’s idea.  Common wisdom claims  that death is bad and to be avoided for as long as possible. But is  this true?

     According to Holy Scripture and tradition of the Church, there are two deaths, the unavoidable  physical death with which we just mentioned  and the avoidable second death with which we are less familiar. The first death  separates us from the material world. The second death is more fearful than physical death because, due to our foolish choice, it renders us unable to love God, but not from 

NOT REUNION BUT RETURN TO ORTHODOXY

NOT REUNION BUT RETURN TO ORTHODOXY

WHAT AN ANATHEMA IS

The italicized sections are taken from: 

A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, Published by the Greek Archdiocese of  North and South America, Dept. Of Religious Education in 1969  (Part II)

  “The lifting of the Excommunication Ban (anathemas) cannot by any means be interpreted as nullifying the schism between the churches of the East and west.  That which took place in this instance was simply a mutual gesture of good will between the two churches.” (P110)

(Archbishop Iakovos to the press on December 30, 1965.)

CAUSES OF THE SEPARATION

 Theological Causes

 “The first of theological causes which must be considered is the Donation of Constantine, which was forged and  fabricated and allegedly gave the Bishop of Rome the title “Pontiff and Father of the Universe.”

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN 

THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN

“Honor your father and mother, that it may be well with you that your days maybe long upon the good land which the Lord gives you.”

   The Lord gave ten commandments to Moses which remain  in force for ever especially to us Christians.  Here we will consider the fifth commandment, which primarily concerns our own fathers and mothers and our duties, to obey them in our youth, and to honor and help them all of their lives, in a spirit of gratitude and love,  for they brought us into the world,  nourishing and protecting us from  many evils.

   We are all brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and His Father is our Father. We  greatly honor our eternal Father and pray to Him, for He is most worthy of our love and devotion. Our heavenly Father is infinitely greater than our earthly fathers. God is our Father and the Theotokos is our Mother. As Christ instructs  us, we pray to our heavenly Father: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our essential bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”  It is worthy for us to love the Father, for God is love, from whom comes the Son and the Holy Spirit.  We are taught in Holy Scripture to love God with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength and with all our souls, for He is worthy of our love, and we learned love from Him.

THE ANGLICAN AND EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH

THE ANGLICAN AND EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH

I WONDER WHY; WHAT ABOUT YOU?

     The Anglican Church of England, and its American associates, the  Episcopalians, is what  I wonder about.  Why do we recognize them as Christians, intermarry our people to their members, recognize their baptism and orders, when it does not even resemble a church?

History:  

  Originally under the Papacy, in 1534, King Henry VIII of England,  proclaimed himself as  supreme head of the Anglican Church, or its own pope-king  He broke away from the Pope of Rome and the Papacy because they refused his request for a divorce or annulment.  He had  numerous  women and a total of six wives. He had two of his wives, Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard  beheaded, making him an adulterer and  murderer; he was an egomaniac, certainly having no relationship  with Jesus Christ and His Saints.  So the Anglican/Episcopalian church is obviously  built upon a foundation of adultery and murder, worse than being built on sand.

      Henry VIII ordered the clergy to preach against  icons and their veneration, the holy  relics of saints, signs and miracles, pilgrimages to holy places, and severely curtailed use of candles. As  England’s  pope-king, he forbade the commemoration of saints, and ordered the shrines of saints destroyed; he proclaimed relics as worthless old bones.  The head of the Anglican church forbad prayers to the saints.  

     The Episcopalians are  Americanized Anglicans, came from their mother church,  and are in communion with the Anglican church.    In the Episcopalian church you will find woman bishops, homosexual clerics, same sex weddings.

     They do not venerate and exalt the Virgin Theotokos, or the Saints. Recently the Anglican church has expressed approval of the ordination of homosexual bishops, following the Episcopalian church.

     As Orthodox Christians we glorify, honor an imitate the Saints, we proclaim the Virgin Theotokos as the highest of all creation, having given birth to God in the flesh. She is above every saint and all the heavenly creatures, including the Cherubim and Seraphim. We not only honor the relics of Saints, but also receive cures for many ailments from these relics, which to Henry VIII would be called superstition. We honor marriage as God honored it between a man and women with the prospect of good and noble children. 

    With all these facts before us, what I wonder is,  how can we remain in the same room as them, when they proclaim hatred for what we love, and dishonor what we honor? Obviously they have not heard the Christian  Gospel, but another which cannot possibly be  from heaven.   I wonder how we can we accept their baptism which cannot possibly be a baptism?  How can we honor her priests who are obviously pseudo-priests ?  How can we meet with them, and associate with them as friends, when they  belong to the institution that wars against Christ and His Holy Church, whose founder is a murderer and adulterer? 

I wonder why they are honored and greeted by some of our fellow Orthodox Christians, unless perhaps they do not know these things. I wonder!   What about you?

YOU, O CHRIST!

YOU, O CHRIST!

You, O Christ our Savior, have become for me the path of life which leads to the Father.  There is but one path, and it is my joy, and at the end of it is the heavenly kingdom.

You, O Master, Jesus Son of God, have become for me the path of life and enlightenment.

In the heart of your servant your grace has become light and joy, which are sweeter than the honey of a honeycomb to the lips of your servant.

  In the soul of your servant your grace has become a treasure, which has made his poverty rich and driven away misery and corruption.

For your servant your grace has become a refuge, strength, a defense, ennoblement, praise, and food for his whole life.

How can your servant be silent, Master, after having tasted the great sweetness of your love and grace?  How could I dare once again to obstruct the waves of grace which pour forth into the heart of me, a sinner, and which are replete with sweetness according to the multitude of your gifts?

I shall sing of the glory of the Master of heavenly powers and shall magnify your grace, O Christ our Savior, and my tongue shall not cease to chant of your love.

   Your love draws me to you, O Savior,  praise of my life.

   Your grace makes it sweet for me to follow you with my mind.

         May my heart be as a fertile field for you, and may your grace sprinkle the dew of eternal life upon it.

        May your grace reap a good harvest on the field of my heart; humility, reverence, sanctity, and all that is ever pleasing to you.

Return my soul to the sweet garden of paradise, and may it abide in light that, surrounded by the delights of paradise, I too may say with all the saints: Glory to the immortal Father, honor to him who presents heavenly gifts to this worthless one, that he may bring a tithe of glory to the King of all.

 From Spritual Psalter  By St. Theophan the Recluse from St. Ephraim the Syrian

JESUS CHRIST ASKED: “WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?”

  JESUS CHRIST ASKED: “WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?”

  Jesus asked this question of His disciples, in order to draw  from them, what they believed about Him.  Peter answered the above question, and no one dissented: “You are the Christ, Son of the Living God.”

   It is two thousand years since Christ raised this question to His disciples, and today  it remains of  important: “Who do men say that I am?”

    The Jews would say that He broke the law of Moses , was not  the real Messiah but a self-styled Messiah, and deserved to die because He made himself God. Some would agree with Pilate and just say they do not know who he is. Moslems would say He is just another prophet. Unitarians would say that He is just a man and not God. The Papacy would say the He is not the Head of the Church on earth – the Pope of Rome is. More and more  Protestant sects, deny his divinity, among them Unitarians, Universalists and others, 

SAINT THEODORE STRATILATES

SAINT THEODORE STRATILATES 

Feb 8 also Sat. of the first week of the Great Fast

   St. Theodore Stratilates (the Commander) lived around 320 AD, when Licinius was ruler of the Roman Empire.  The Saint was born in the village of  Euchaita in Galatia. Later he lived in Heracleia of Pontus on the Black Sea. He had  much wisdom and was a well developed strong young man. Because of his eloquence and wisdom, his friends nicknamed him the  “spring of rhetoric.” Everyone wanted to be his friend and spend time conversing with him due to his kind character

 When the emperor Licinius heard of Theodore, he had a desire to speak with him, which he did. This resulted in his giving Theodore the position of Commander in the Roman army, and governing the city of Heracleia. As soon as he received his post, Theodore declared to everyone that he was a Christian. Ruling over Heracleia,  he taught the populace that Christ was the only true God,  and Creator of heaven and earth. By his teaching and example  many of the pagans believed and were baptized.  Nearly all the pagans of the city eventually came to believe in Christ through Theodore’s  teaching.  

    When the emperor Licinius  heard that Theodore  was a Christian, he grieved privately, but wrote Theodore a very cheerful letter.  It contained a request that he join the Emperor in sacrificing to the 

UNION WITH OTHERS NEVER ACCEPTED BY THE CHURCH

UNION WITH OTHERS WAS 

NEVER ACCEPTED  BY THE CHURCH

  The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has never sought unity with churches. This is the major flaw of the ecumenical movement.  This organization was never meant to search for truth or the true Church, nor do we hear that the  Orthodox who attend these meetings openly and without shame invite them to abandon their various misbeliefs and enter the True Church, which we proclaim over and over as the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  None of those outside the Church  are baptized with the true baptism, nor anointed with the Holy Spirit with divine chrism, neither to they believe in or partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. We ought to be reaching out to them in a spirit of love,  praying for salvation of their souls, for since the WWC was founded many thousands have died outside the Church,  without our attempts to bring them to saving Orthodoxy.  Who can be saved without true baptism, the grace of chrism and the Holy Mystery?  “Unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man you have no life in you.” If we fail to attempt to save such souls, we do them the greatest injustice and harm,  and so we oppose Christ’s commandment.  Love commands us to struggle to bring salvation to all people. The forum of WCC does not make this possible. The only thing that works properly,  and is of greatest benefit to the members of the ecumenical movement, is the friendly persuasion of preaching the True Christ and the True Faith, bringing them in the joy of everlasting life! We cannot keep our Faith to ourselves, lest we be like the servant with the single talent.

     There  never was and never will be division in the Church, as some ecumenists assert. therefore, there is no purpose to seek any type of unity, for the Church is always  indivisible. The idea of the unionists, who seek unity with those outside Orthodoxy, has been around for centuries, but has in every case, been rejected by the Church.  For there can be no union with light and darkness, with good and evil, or with truth and falsehood.

   History shows that there were unionists who were seeking unity with the papacy at one time,* or with the monophysites, but the Lord prevented such false unity. We know that the Church has not and will not be divided, but there will always be the faithful who remain in the Church as well as those who abandon it.  Concerning those who leave the Church, they can choose to repent and return, embracing the faith again, abandoning  their errors.  Those who were never in the Church, and are  outside, if they strip away their wrong beliefs, can then  embrace the truths of Orthodoxy, accepting the true Church and baptism, and so gain eternal life.

* The union of the council of Florence and Ferrara before the fall of Constantinople, which St. Mark of Ephesus almost alone,  stood in opposition,  and resulted in his glorification by the Church.

   There cannot possibly be a church among heretics or schismatics, nor can the Orthodox Church even consider any other union than with  Jesus Christ. Those outside can be united to the Church after  abandoning their errors.  This is the teaching of our Church Fathers, and Holy Scripture. St. Paul teaches us those outside:“ a man who is a heretic, after the first and second admonition reject,  knowing he is subverted and sins and is self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11). Can there possibly be a greater heretic than the Pope of Rome, who fancies himself as the only all powerful Bishop of the church to whom all others bishops and the world must be  subordinate? He, without shame, proclaims the Orthodox Church to be defective because of failure to recognize his majestic authority. The thought of uniting with him cannot enter our Orthodox minds, for he arrogantly assumes himself as having  the keys to heaven and claims infallibility as the only real bishop in the church? Orthodox unity with the Pope is impossible for  it would submit the True Church of Christ to the Papacy,  separating us from Jesus Christ, consequently this will never happen as it  is a false unity.

   The proper approach to those outside the Church is to bid  them to come to the truth which  never fails. If they seek to be united to the Church they must first abandon their false beliefs and embrace the true beliefs preserved as treasures of  Orthodoxy. Because we confess one Baptism those entering are required to confess their sins  and be baptized with the same one true and triune Baptism ordained by Christ’: “Go forth and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” 

   Concerning the Church, we Orthodox Christians believe and know it to be the house of the Living God, founded upon Christ, ruled and governed by Him, for it is the spiritual house that God built.  The Father founded the Church, placing the Lord Jesus Christ as its foundation, the beginning and the end, according to the Scripture: “Behold I lay in Sion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded” (1 Peter 2:6).   After the Father laid the chief cornerstone of the Church. The Son of God built upon that foundation which was laid by the Father, taking to himself the twelve Apostles and the seventy, and sending upon them Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, that they were enabled to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  The Holy Spirit through the Apostles,  raised the building, and established out of all nations the new community called the Church, One Holy, catholic and Apostolic. It is one because it always has the same basis, the Lord Jesus Christ, one and the same faith in the Father  the Son and the Holy Spirit, one and the same legislation – the Gospel laid by Christ, also because its members live holy lives, and are continuously being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, agreeably to the commandments of Christ. 

    As there are people who enter the Church which leads them to salvation and eternal life, so there are those who abandon the Church, “establishing another church”  leading people astray and in danger of perdition and eternal death.  This occurred with the formation of the papacy, which left the Church and instituted  “a new and different church” preaching a new and different Gospel, crowning a new and different head, a new and different guide, anjd a new and different ecclesiology.   

 The Church does not exclude anyone who desires to join it, and keeping with the Lord’s commandments, preaches the Gospel, teaches, catechizes and baptized all who choose to be united with  it. Concerning the Papacy, and all heretics,  St. John the Evangelist says: “Little children, they went out from us, but they were not of us, for had they been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out that it may be made manifest that they were of us” (1 John 19)

    The heretic Arius taught that Christ was only a man, and refused to accept Him as the Godman,  and from his heretical  idea pseudo churches sprang up claiming to be true churches, but leading many astray. When they acquired political power, they slaughtered Orthodox Christians who would not deny the truth.

     Nestorius the heretic refused to call the Virgin “Theotokos”,  nor do the Protestant of our days do so. Failing to adhere to the truth, but to their personal opinions, heretics always disagree with the Church and choose to remain outside the Church forfeiting their salvation.  All the faithful Orthodox in the world, who believe the truth, constitute the Church.  Schismatics who break from the Church, by their own choice. Place themselves outside of the Church, hence not on the path of salvation.

    There are some who claim that those outside of the Church, by accepting some truths, have a relationship to the Church, but this is obviously a false assumption, for one lie can separate us from God and the Church. The Devil who is the author of all falsehood, does not introduce his lies without disguising and sugar coating them as truth. For example:   Christ is God is a truth. Christ is a man is also a truth. Christ has a nature also is a truth. Although these are all true statements, they are not complete truths, which is how deception originates.  The complete truth is: Christ is both God and man is. Christ has two natures. The Devil cleverly mixes partial truths with falsehood,  covering the deadly poisonous lies with truth.

  Those who embrace the idea of unity by means of ecumenism, call those who speak the truths of Orthodoxy: “triumphalists”.  Whatever they call those who defend truth does not matter, for the greatest Fathers of the Church did not seek unity with heretics but battled against them  until they were driven out. The unity that Christ seeks is with Him: “Let us dedicate ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.”   Let us be faithful to Orthodoxy and seek not unity but new ly baptized people who leave their heresies and enter our beloved Orthodoxy, for, “We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity who has saved us.”

BAPTISM – NOT OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

According to Holy Tradition

CONCERNING BAPTISM:

 Our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed to His Apostles after His glorious Resurrection: “All authority in heaven and upon earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Sprit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded to you; and behold, I am always with you, even to the close of the age.” (Mat. 28:16-20).

  From common practice we know that three things are absolutely necessary for ordinary baptisms, a priest of the Orthodox Church and proper prayers , plenty of water, the Holy Spirit. These are vital and is a holy tradition of the Church, which we all ought to follow zealously.

OUR MATERIALISTIC AGE –RETURN TO IDOLATRY

OUR MATERIALISTIC AGE –RETURN TO IDOLATRY  

  We are living in an age where the origin and destiny of man is degraded by some scientists,  to the level of  mindless matter and the trash heap.  Although man is destined to a much higher  and noble purpose, the advocates of this degradation appear more as haters of man not philanthropists.   We observe that in the media, in advertising, from many scientists, including many around us,  consider matter as everything and establish that there is no such thing as a spirit in man, or a God who created man and  gave him that spirit.  This is true in both the West and the East, and all of the European world. What is the status quo of today?  To this question the facts answer that it is none other than the worship of matter or materialism, the worship of  idols and the worship of money. It is founded upon the total denial of man’s true and noble destiny.

  No one will deny that this is an age of the glorification and exaltation of  physical sciences, which produce gadgets and more 

THE DESCRIPTION AND APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST

THE DESCRIPTION AND APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST

   Concerning the God-man, the Son and Logos of God, the Evangelists and Apostles wrote about His works in the world in the Divine Gospels. They recorded the accounts of His transfiguration, His crucifixion, His resurrection and His ascension up to heaven.  But there were many other private individuals of that period, not followers of Christ, who wrote a more detailed account concerning the life of the Lord.  One who wrote about the character, appearances, form and figure of Christ which is worthy of mention, is the Roman Pouplious Lantoulos, who lived during the days of our Lord, residing in Jerusalem at that time. He wrote a letter to the Roman senate which is as follows:

   In those days there appeared a young man, who is still living, a youth that has great power and whose name is Jesus Christ.  The populace calls Him a strong prophet and His disciples call Him, Son of God. He raised the dead to life; and cures the sick of every type of disease.  The youth is tall but well proportioned.  The countenance of His face is both serious and active, so that those who look at Him love Him, and yet in another way, they are afraid of Him.

GOD IS LOVE

GOD IS LOVE

 We hear the Holy Scriptures and the  hymns of the Church acclaim that God is love. How is this to be understood?   Does God love those who love Him? Does God love those who hate Him?  Does God love those who crucified Him?  Does God love the worst of sinners?  The answer is inevitably  yes, for God loves everyone, excluding no one, and He commands us to love those who hate us especially our persecutors and enemies.

   Love means the bestowing of all the good one has upon his beloved. All the good God has is in himself for he is alone is  good and the lover of man. Love cannot be found in matter but in persons capable of requiting that love. For this reason God not only gave himself as a ransom for us, but he continually gives himself to us as food and drink in the Eucharist.  Although He is God and the Creator, He offers himself to us as food and drink desiring to elevate us to be a god like Him. What unspeakable love! What a beautiful God is our God! How can we not be grateful and continuously give Him our deepest gratitude?

S T R E S S THE KILLER OF SOULS AND BODIES

S T R E S S 

THE KILLER OF SOULS AND BODIES

   A great amount of literature has been written concerning the subject of stress and one thing remains clear, stress is undesirable, being harmful to both body and soul. Endless  reams of articles, speeches and books have proclaimed the need to get rid of stress. There are many recommendations published as to  how to deal with stress, to minimize its effects. Some proclaim the use of chemicals. Others come up with certain disciplines.  Some are taken from pagan religions and practices, and may seem to offer a small degree of help, but no one has offered  a lasting and permanent cure. As in any ailment, it is good to establish a diagnosis,  find its source and the best type of treatment, as well as the hope and  assurance of a cure.

THE MANY SOURCES OF STRESS 

    Many things contribute to stress., among them being  the sickness or death of a spouse or loved one, marital difficulties quarrels, arguments over children, separation, divorce,  personal injury or serious illness, loss of job or income, moving, entering the work force or retirement, serious illness of a family member, 

THE BEATITUDES

THE BEATITUDES 

   The section of Matthew’s Gospel starting with Chapter five through the end of Chapter seven, is known as the evangelical Law – the law of the Gospel given to us by Christ. The very beginning of Chapter five begins with the Beatitudes, which for unknown reasons, are used in other Orthodox churches but, to my knowledge practically unused in the Greek churches.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted,

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. 
                                                                  Matthew 5:3-12

  The doctrine of Jesus Christ is the cause of blissfulness, of happiness and lasting joy. Everything that man  seeks is found in Christ not in this material world. Animals find all that they need in this world, but because we are much more than animals, and are spirits, this world cannot fulfill our desires. Man desires to be free and stay alive. Man desires knowledge and builds schools, universities and libraries seeking all the knowledge that exists. Man forms societies to increase his singular  power and accomplishes great things, such a highways, bridges, ships, aircraft, huge buildings, etc.  Summing it up, man wants to live for ever. Man wants to be able to know everything. Man desires to do everything he can and accomplish great tasks.

Man wants to live for ever.             God is eternal forever alive

Man wants to know everything        God knows everything 

Man wants to have all power           God is all powerful, 

 Thus,  there is no question that man desires to be a god like God.  God also wills that we become like Him, but the Devil convinced the first woman to break God’s law and eat the forbidden fruit, saying: “You will become like God” She listened to his deception and death entered the world.  Christ came and destroyed the authority of death which held man captive.

    "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

A person aware of his poorness in body,  seeks assistance until he receives  help.

A person aware of his poorness of spirit,  seeks assistance  from God until he receives help. It is not the poverty that is blessed, but the awareness of poverty, which promotes action.

"Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted."

Realizing his poverty, he cries, mourning to God, who sees his tears and bestows the spirit

"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

Those who have mourned over their sins, comforted by God, become meek avoiding anger.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice for they shall be filled.

Those becoming meek hunger to do God’s will and keep every commandment.

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."

Acquiring justice from God, they seek to be merciful, having first  tasted His great mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

Pureness of heart is analogous to clearness of the eye; a clear healthy heart sees God

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God".

Those who reconcile men  to Christ establish peace between them and God          

"Blessed are they who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Those who reconcile men to God are persecuted but courageous and love moves them to action.

"Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven."

Ascending the ladder of the Beatitudes, the person who is filled with courage and spirit, endures everything for the sake of Christ and the truth, and gladly undergoes persecution and even death.

HAPPINESS THAT NEVER ENDS

HAPPINESS THAT NEVER ENDS

     Every human being desires genuine happiness and contentment but there are few who find what they seek. Some say: “If I had lots of money, I would be happy;” others say, “If I was married I would be happy;” or  “I would be so happy if I could get a divorce;” the varieties of ideas of happiness are  numberless. Yet happiness continues to be evasive for so many people. So the question is where can one find true and endless happiness, for which all men crave? Where are we to find happiness that is lasting?  The answer will amaze many but it is a true answer and there is but one source of happiness.

    Solving the problem of happiness  lies in solving the burdensome problem of all mankind – death and causes leading to it, for death hangs over all of our heads like a sharp sickle, and none of us has 

NOW AND FOR EVER AND UNTO THE AGES OF AGES. AMEN

NOW AND FOR EVER AND UNTO THE AGES OF AGES. AMEN

Νυν και αει, και εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων Αμην.

Now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

  Many newer translations, sadly, have changed the translation of this important part that follows “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ” which is “Now and for ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.  Errors in translation always whittle away little by little at the beauty of our Orthodox Faith, for there are many meanings in words and phrases not yet discovered. Changing the translation removes some the beauty and important knowledge found in a few words, which will be herein demonstrated.  Even “now and for ever and unto the ages of age, amen”, has great significance and meaning, and what appears here  is not exhaustive.

 “Now”  means at this present time, in this present temporary life, now,  while we are yet alive, now before the winds of death arrive, now, before we are called to judgment, now is the time for repentance, now is the time for sincere heartfelt prayer,  now is the time to prepare an apology here so as to be forgiven there, now we can still change our lives, now we can help the poor, now we are able to confess our sins, now we can partake of the life-giving Mysteries.

   “For ever”  is the great and sure hope of all those who love Christ!  For ever means that there is no end, for ever is what Christ is about!  For He died, but, forever, Christ will never die again! Forever is Christ’s glorious Resurrection!  He will raise us up  for ever on the last day! Forever we hope to be with Christ, for ever to rejoice, forever to dance and sing! Forever to celebrate in the kingdom of heaven! Forever to be with the Theotokos and all the Saints! For ever to gaze upon their exquisite beauty.

    But for how long will this last?  “Unto the ages of ages!  Unto the ages of ages means until the end of time, for beyond the ages of ages, when time ends, there is one single day, for ever without end, for ever without darkness, for ever unto the ages of ages is for all  eternity!  What could be sweeter than to be assured that we will live beyond the ages of ages, into the day that never ends for ever? For ever and ever in eternity with the Lord, where there is no pain, no sorrow.  Unto the ages of ages, there will be  no sighing, but life everlasting! And finally “Amen.” May this come to pass! May this be our lot! May we be sealed with the grace of God. May we cross the river of fire by the power of the Cross. Amen .Amen. Amen.

    How important is “Now and for ever and unto the ages of ages, Amen!

 Let us preserve it always.

THE HOLY MARTYR NEOPHYTOS

THE HOLY MARTYR NEOPHYTOS

Jan 21

 Being an ascetic and a martyr, our Saint is truly amazing, for from early childhood, he emulated his God-loving parents and virtues  beautifully bloomed in him, causing him to help everyone who needed it.  He offered a prayer at the entrance to a church, and struck a rock; Immediately a vast supply of much-needed water and milk came forth, which quenched the thirst of many, not only bodily thirst but also the thirst of their souls were nourished.

 Neophytos, tried to hide the virtues with which he was adorned,  never becoming proud and always sought the ascetic life. His mother Florentia in a dream learned about her virtuous child, for she was in amazed  at his many wonderful miracles. Shedding tears 

IF GOD IS NOT THE HOLY TRINITY, THERE IS NO GOD!

IF GOD IS NOT THE  HOLY TRINITY, THERE IS NO GOD! 

 “God is the Lord and has revealed himself to us; blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.”

   We sing this hymn frequently in Church, but how did God reveal himself to us? As the  One Triune God   of three hypostases. He is one nature, one essence, one will, not three gods. God necessarily is a Trinity because He as being the perfect Mind, He must have an idea of himself,  a perfect idea, for a perfect Mind can only beget a perfect Logos or Idea. God also necessarily has a perfect spirit. Both the Logos and Spirit have their eternal origin in the Father, and are coeternal having  the same nature.

   The Father is perfect Mind, the Son is perfect Logos, and the Holy Spirit is perfect Spirit. If God were the Father Mind , lacking  

SAINT MARK OF EPHESUS

SAINT MARK OF EPHESUS

JANUARY 19 

   Mark Eugenikos was born around 1392, spending  the greater part of his life in Constantinople. He  had desired to live a monastic life, which he did for a time, but the Lord was  preparing him for a much greater task – the defense of all the truths of Orthodoxy against the false teaching and false authority of  the Papacy, at a time when  Orthodox leaders were fearful of attacks and capture of  their beloved city – Constantinople.   Well educated,  Mark was seriously studious and covered many subjects, especially theology and rhetoric. Although he was living in the world he was not bound by it, for his first  desire had always been for the ascetic life of silence and contemplation. Then as the years went by, his soul became increasingly simple and pure, and he was beloved and honored.  The Lord endowed him firm faith and great stamina arming him with the ability to defend the dogmas of Orthodoxy. This defense was supported by his fellows,  first with little,  and later no support, and even worse came the opposition of his fellows. Mark was ordained a Priest and later elevated to Metropolitan.  Through the providence of God,  Mark would be chosen to champion the truth and uphold the dogmas in discussions with the Pope and the possibility of union of the churches.

   Prior to the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the subsequent captivity under  the Turks, the Emperor and Patriarch hoping   that they could prevent the fall of the Empire, especially saving the city of Constantinople, by obtaining  military help from the west, in 

CONCERNING THE PSALMS

CONCERNING THE PSALMS

     Although we  usually speak of the 150 Psalms of David, there is a 151st Psalm which is beautiful, wherein  David speaks of his being chosen by God and his famous defeat of the giant Goliath.

     This Psalm was written by the hand of David and outside the number, when he fought a duel with Goliath

    “I was the smallest of my brothers, and the youngest in my father’s house; I tended my father’s sheep.
     My hands made an instrument, and my fingers tuned a psaltery.
But who will tell it to my Lord?  The Lord himself; He will listen.

He sent forth His angel, and took me from my father’s sheep; and anointed me with his anointing oil.

 My brothers were big and handsome, but the Lord did not approve of them.
I went out to meet the alien, and he cursed me by his idols.  But I drew his own sword and beheaded him, and took away the reproach from the sons of Israel.”

GOD, NOT MOTHER NATURE

GOD, NOT MOTHER NATURE

“Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.

 Who looks upon the earth and makes it quake; who touches the mountains, and they smoke” (Psalm 103:31-32).

     In the days of Emperor Leo the Isaurian in the year 740, a long-lasting and most terrible earthquake occurred in the queen city Constantinople.  The clergy and people understood this as being God’s chastisement for their sins.  They then prayed to the Theotokos and the Great Champion and Martyr Demetrios, repenting of their sins until God showed His mercy and the earthquake ended

THE TRISAGION PRAYER

      We Orthodox very frequently  sing the Trisagion Prayer:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy  Immortal, have mercy upon us.”  

 And here is its source!                
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake at Constantinople (447) and the Miracle of the Trisagion 

     During the reign of the Emperor Theophilus, the city of Constantinople was visited by frequent earthquakes for almost four months. The Emperor, the Patriarch Prochlus disciple of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated on November 20th, and the people joined in a barefoot procession offering prayer to God seeking their security. While  gathered, the tremors increased dramatically, and a young boy was taken up into the heavens before all the people, who in fear cried out Kyrie eleison! Lord have mercy! 

     When the boy came down from the heavens, he said that he had been among choirs of Angels who sang:  “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”  and that a voice had commanded him to tell the Patriarch that the people should make supplication to God in this manner. The Patriarch instructed the people to sing  this hymn, and immediately  the ground stopped shaking and the child fell asleep in the Lord.. The Empress Pulcheria (September 10) asked the Patriarch to order that this hymn be song from then on in the Divine Liturgy, just as it is still sung today before the Epistle reading.: “ Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”  Our Holy Tradition establishes that this glorification, over 1200 years old,  is always to be read or sung  not less than three times.

MAN’S FREE WILL AND ITS ORIGIN

  MAN’S FREE WILL AND ITS ORIGIN

  The source and use of our free will can best be understood by observing the biblical account of  man’s creation.  Man was not formed from matter alone as are animals, for matter which lacks freedom, cannot possibly give freedom to man.  Freedom can only come from the source of freedom which can only be found in the Creator of heaven and earth who possesses absolute freedom.  According to Holy Scripture, God gave freedom to angelic creatures,  and man who was created from the earth. Moses gives this account regarding man:  “God formed man out of the clay of the earth. And breathed into his person  a spirit of life and the man became a living soul.”  Thus it is the free and divine spirit breathed in the beginning into man which  enables him to freely become the living image of God, bearing divine characteristics. 

CONCERNING MEDICINE

CONCERNING MEDICINE

      In the book entitled “With the Elder Porphyrios, is found on page 172-3 the following conversation concerning medicine.  “The Elder did not rule out the use of medicine, but  did not give it absolute value regarding its healing role.  One day he asked me, “What is medicine (Greek pharmako?”  I answered, “A chemical preparation we take in order to get well from sickness.”  He was not satisfied with my answer and repeated, “Tell me what  “medicine” (pharmako) means? Doesn’t the word itself tell you something?”  The Elder continued, “Medicine” (pharmako) means “poison” (pharmaki).  Don’t think that medicines only makes the human body better.  They also make it worse.  Why do we take medicine? Because we get sick.  And why do we get sick? Because we get upset.  And why do we get upset?  Because we sin.  If however, we have Christ dwelling throughout our soul, then sin leaves. sadness leaves, sickness leaves, and we throw our medicine away”

THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME!

  On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus said to His disciples:  “Take eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance.  Drink you of it all, for this is my blood in the new covenant which is shed for you and many for remission of sins.” 

“This do in remembrance of me!”

 He that eats and drinks the body and blood of the Lord, will be unable to forget the Lord, but will remember Him for ever.  Let us consider, then, what the nature of this remembrance is.

 The remembrance of Christ consists in thinking, what a person Christ must have been to have done such a work, and what a work, for our salvation!  Thinking, that although being in the form of God, and enjoying all the power, authority, and glory of God, as 

being the perfect Logos of the perfect Mind, as the reflection of His glory, and although served and honored by all the angelic and bodiless forces, and master of all creation visible and invisible, He emptied himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on the Cross.  

    The remembrance of Christ consists in thinking how Christ, although by nature a God, descended upon the earth, and became  man that I, by nature a man, might ascend to heaven, and become a god; that He suffered the most disagreeable of all things disagreeable that I might enjoy the greatest good of all things good which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man; that He humbled himself that I might be exalted; that He suffered dishonor, that I might be honored; that He underwent hardships, afflictions, sorrows, and pain that I might find relaxation, joy, and happiness; that He died that I might live; and in a word, that He became a poor man without form or beauty that I might become a blissful god invested with honor and glory.  

    The remembrance of Christ consists in thinking how much Christ loved me, to allow himself to be slaughtered and to give His most precious life as ransom for my sake! How much Christ loved me, to become my food and my nourisher, feeding me with His own Flesh, just as a mother feeds from her own breast the child to whom she has given birth!  How much Christ loved me to give me all He had and make it mine, without having received anything from me and without needing anything!

 In a word, the remembrance of Christ consists in thinking of the self-abnegation and sacrifice of Christ, the motive of which was His love for me and the end and purpose of which was my deification!  Dearest remembrance!  Sweetest remembrance of the mystery of Eucharist!  You are more dear to me than all other treasures!  You are sweeter to my tongue than honey!  The memory and remembrance and contemplation of the Son of God delights me, because He is exceedingly good.  It delights me because I understand  how good Christ is rather that I know  what good I have received from Him.      

    Your love, Christ has wounded me in my heart, and how shall I heal this wound?  What medicine or dressings shall I put upon my wound?  Your commandments I shall keep, and your will I will do; for these things are a consolation and a comfort to the soul that loves you, and it is such medicines and dressings that the wound of your love seeks.  You have said: “All things whatever you would that me should do to you, do you even so to them.”

  When we keep the commandments of Christ we show our love for Him.  If we say we love Him and neglect His commandments, this belies our love, and we need to correct it for disobedience of Christ, deprives us of the benefits that the Holy Eucharist confers on us.

“Remember me O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.”

   The Eucharist is the divine food, that not only does good to our souls, to the highest degree, but also changes our bodies, making them noble and beneficial. The body is the inseparable companion of the soul, and the instrument by which it accomplishes its actions.  Because the desires of the body can lead the soul into sins, we are taught in both words of the Scripture, and actions of the ascetics, to subject the body to the soul, its rightful master. If we allow the Body to rule over the soul we surrender our freedom and become enslaved to carnal desires.  This is what Orthodox fasting and temperance are about. We follow the rules of  fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays and during the four fasts of the year. This promotes sobriety of the mind and soundness of the body and its good health.

The belief that in the Mystery of Eucharist, the faithful partake of the Lord himself, was a difficult saying to many of the Jews who were His disciples. Christ introduced it to them when He said to the Jews:  “Amen, amen, Moses did not give  you that bread which comes down from heaven but my Father gives you the true bread which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”   (John 6:32). The Jews murmured at him because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. Jesus told them: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.  And the bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  The Jews strove among themselves and did not understand,  thus  Christ said: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.  For my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.” (John 6: 51-56)

   

     After that many of the Jews who were His disciples, no longer  “walked with them; then Jesus said to the twelve, will you also go away?” Peter answered Him, Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67). We all must follow Peter’s example and not be scandalized by the pure words of Jesus Christ!